Lacina Koné
Smart Africa Alliance

Lacina Koné, Director General of the Smart Africa Alliance—an organisation launched by Paul Kagame in 2013 to accelerate Africa’s digital economy and now bringing together 42 member states—announced last November the creation of the African AI Council, with the support of the African Energy Commission (AFREC) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Comprising 15 leading figures, the Council aims to ensure that artificial intelligence is both accessible and beneficial to all Africans. Its ambition goes even further. “work to ensure that Africa leads the way in the global AI transformation, rather than follows it,” Koné said. Since taking the helm of Smart Africa in 2019, he has championed a vision of the continent as the engine of the digital economy. He advocates an inclusive form of AI, rooted in African realities and designed to drive progress in education, healthcare and economic inclusion while preserving the continent’s languages and cultural heritage. For Koné, “AI is an equaliser.” Properly deployed, it can enable rural communities and people with little or no formal education to participate fully in their countries’ economic and social development.